On Aug. 17, 2011, the motorcycle industry lost one of its heroes – Claudio Castiglioni. The Italian and his brother Gianfranco inherited in the Cagiva Company from their father in 1978, and the world of motorcycles would never be the same.

Under Claudio’s presidency, Cagiva gave rebirths to many manufacturers that it bought, including Ducati, Husqvarna, and MV Agusta (for more, visit MV Agusta’s Castiglioni: Career Bio).

And to celebrate Castiglioni, MV Agusta is holding an event May 18 titled “Gli Amici Di Claudio,” which translates to “The Friends of Claudio.”

Following is the release from MV Agusta:

At Schiranna, the home of MV Agusta, it’s all coming together for the grand gathering to be held on May 18 at the legendary factory on the shores of Lake Varese.

“GLI AMICI DI CLAUDIO” is a massive event that will see enthusiasts of Aermacchi, Cagiva and MV Agusta – three awesome motorcycle brands that have succeeded each other since 1950 – descend en masse on the factory near Varese. First started by Aermacchi, the tradition of excellence was successfully continued by Cagiva and is now being carried forwards by MV Agusta with superb sales and racing results.

Moreover, the production plant will also be opening its doors to fans of Husqvarna and Ducati, two brands that were bought, saved and put back on the road to success by the company headed by Castiglioni.

Sunday 18th May will, then, be a day of festivities dedicated to the memory of Claudio Castiglioni, the President of MV Agusta and founder of Cagiva who passed away in summer 2011. In November 1978 Cagiva arose from the ashes of the glorious Aermacchi, which had been manufacturing at Schiranna since 1950. Cagiva continued the dual Aermacchi traditions of mass production and competitive racing, winning over the market thanks to models that proved to be outstanding on account of their excellent technical features, handling and style.

Following the success of Cagiva, Claudio Castiglioni proved his unique entrepreneurial skills yet again by bringing the glorious MV Agusta brand back from the brink and relaunching it on the market. He also achieved his dream of mass producing the only Italian 4-cylinder bike, the F4, characterized by unmistakeable styling, which many tried – and failed! – to imitate.

The models that came in the wake of the first 750 cc version retained the same refined styling, technology and chassis design, making them the new category benchmark. Similarly, the innovative F3, with its in-line 3-cylinder engine, was an instant success, as were several more recent models, such as the Rivale 800 and Brutale 800 Dragster. Moreover, the F3 has also proved to be a winner in the Supersport World Championship.

The event has been organised by MV Agusta together with the Moto Club Internazionale Cascina Costa, Cagiva Club Lombardia and the Registro Storico Aermacchi.

The “GLI AMICI DI CLAUDIO” organisers have put together a packed programme that includes an exhibition of Aermacchi, Cagiva and MV Agusta bikes (plus Husqvarna and Ducati bikes manufactured up to 1996) in the main factory courtyard. An indoor area, instead, will host the most important road and race models to be produced at Schiranna since 1950.

The rally will also feature a photographic exhibition with some stunning images of yesteryear; there will also be plenty going on both in and outside the factory, even for the youngest of enthusiasts. The ride-pasts will start at 3 p.m. with the racing bikes, ridden by living legends such as Giacomo Agostini, Marco Lucchinelli, Gianfranco Bonera and Carlo Ubbiali; they’ll be followed by the procession of superb vintage bikes and modern road bikes. Prize-giving will take place at 5 p.m. Awards will be given to registered bikes in the following categories: the best-looking, the oldest, and the one that has come from furthest away!

And that’s not all: at the “GLI AMICI DI CLAUDIO” get-together you can also contribute to a worthy cause by purchasing charity raffle tickets. The proceeds will go to the IEO (European Oncology Institute) Foundation. Ticket holders stand a chance of winning an amazing first prize: an MV Agusta Rivale 800 Special Edition.

Pro racers Claudio Corti and Vladimir Leonov will also be on hand, giving autographs and posing for photos with the official Team MV Agusta Reparto Corse – Yakhnich Motorsport bikes, now being used so effectively in the Superbike and Supersport World Championships.

The rally will end at 5:30 p.m. with a roaring rev-up in memory of the late, great President Claudio Castiglioni.